s
News
Volume X. No. 7
BRYN MAWR, PA., WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1923
Price: 10 Cents
DR. FITCH LECTURES ON
CONFUCIAN RELIGION
Explanation of Individualistic and
Humanistic Theories of Life
Given
INDIVIDUAL SEEKS TQ/EXPRESS
Confucianism as a hnmanistic interpre-
tation of life was the subject of the sec-
ond of the series of lectures on Compara-
tive Religions which Dr. Albert Parker
Fitch is giving in Taylor Hall every Wed-
nesday evening.
Dr. Fitch said first that primitive man
originally treated his gods as we would
treat an irresponsible tyranny. As he came
out of savagery, he devised ways of
coercing the gods, by ritual and magic.
Gradually, faith emerged, faith and super;
stition differing in (he "lawless and irra-
tional character""of the latter. Man came
to regard as divinely sanctioned various
aspects of social life which were really the
result of collective observation. Most of
us carry "remnants of this attitude in our
belief that our great customs, such as mar-
riage and private property, have some
divine sanction. To maintain, that a thing
stands or falls by its own right, is usually
considered heresy^-------------------
In general, Dr. Fitch continued, there are
three levels of interin-etation of human
life in its political, economic, ethic and
religious aspects. Wc do not use them
consistently, and one shades over into the
other gradually. The first is the natural-
� istic or individualistic interpretation of life,
the second, the humanistic or social, ihe
third, the univcrsalistic or religious. Of
these, the first-mentioned puts the indi-
vidual self at the center' and arranges
everything about him. The humanistic
theory puts the group or the nation at the
center and disciplines individuals in favor
of the social group. The last conceives of
man as projected against the screen of an
infinite existence.
In discussing the first theory, Dr. Fitch
said that the individualist held it as his
supreme duty to express himself. To him,
"a thing is supremely natural, and there-
fore supremely justified." Politically, he is
an anarchist, economically, an extreme be-
liever in laissez-faire, in literature, a ro-
manticist, personally, an amoral pagan.
One of the great systems of China, was
of^this order. Its founder, Lao-Tse, was
a contemporary of Confucius, who revolted
against all restraints and advocated a doc-
trine of ethical and- religious laissez-faire,
of which the historical name is Taoism.
Its adherents held that the best state gov-
erns least and that the chief evil is over-
government. Such a doctrine might result
in sublime mysticism or laziness, usually
laziness. #
Of the second interpretation of life,
China offers an example in the teachings
of Confucius. Humanism ^n general as-
sumes that man is his own arbiter with
requisite intelligence to control his own
destiny, and places the source in collec-
tive authority. It is essentially aristocratic,
and usually appears in a society based on
slavery. Confucianism was a neo-cjassic
humanism. Although its founder had two
thousand years of historical development
behind him there is still something which'
his social environment cannot explain. Hel
does not claim to be the founder of a new
religion, merely the transmitter of what
others have known before him. His atti-
tude towards religious ideas was cautious
and prudent; he preferred to remain in
the sharply lighted and clearly defined
world. As he said, "Who can go out, save
CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
SELF-GOVERNMENT DISCUSSES
REPORTING AND QUIET HOURS
Meeting Votes to Return to Proctor
System Changing Every Week
Called by petition to discuss Resolution
V and quiet hours, a meeting of the Self-
Government Association, held last Tuesday
in Taylor Hall, voted, after much discus-
sion, to take a sense of the meeting at the
next meeting in regard to Resolution V,
and to return to the proctor system. Mo-
tions were passed in regard -to going to
concerts and operas, and accepting lifts
from strangerS^vf. C�ynci '24, president,
explained the Executive Board decision
about walking in parties of less than three
as a temporary measure due to unsafe
conditions in the back-country.
Resolution V reads "that it be consid-
ered the duty of all members of Self-
Govertimcnt, individuals as well as officers,
to be responsible for seeing that all infrac-
tions of Self-.Government are reported if
the information i$ gained on direct obser-
vation." B. Ling, '24, opened the discussion
by stating that Resolution V was a weak-
ness in Self-Government, because there is
a large group in college who either accept
it with a mental reservation or simply do
not consider it; because it conflicts with
many people's idea of personal honor, who,
if they .disobey jn this, may do so in other
rules; and because it provides for lack of
the honor and responsibility that Self-Gov-
ernment is supposedly built upon. . H. Chis-
olm, 75, said that the resolution involves
more than Self-Government has a right to,
the personal code of friendship. E. Howe,
'24, pointed out that Self-Government is
based on responsibility to oneself and to
the group, but that responsibility to the
group should be uppermost. M. Rodney,
'24, said that the resolution takes for
granted that we have no sense of honor,
and E. Pearson, '24, replied that provision
should be made for those below the stand-
ard, and for emergencies. C. Remak, '25,
objected that people should be spoken to
before reported, and Miss Coyne explained
that this was taken for granted. E. Glcss-
ner, '25, complained that the resolution fos-
ters the idea of interfering in other peo-
ple's business. E. Howe, '24, replied that
the highest ideal of Self-Government is
individual responsibility to the group. The
discussion was closed with, the motion that
a sense of the mealing be taken at the
next Association meeting in regard to the
resolution.
Proctors will change every week auto-
matically in alphabetical order on each cor-
ridor, according to the motion by which
the Association jeturned -to the proctor
system.
The motions that "students may go to
concerts and operas in the Academy of
Music unch^peroncd," and the motion that
"students may not accept or ask for
hitches or lifts from any stranger riding
or driving in a motor vehicle," were passed.
ENGLISH MINISTER TO LEAD
CHAPEL NEXT SUNDAY NIGHT
Chapel next Sunday night will be led by
Rait. T. G.'Brierley Kay, Vicar of South-
minster, Essex, England. *
Mr. Kay, who Was born and educated in
Dublin, worked among the miners in New
Zealand for several years. He was chap-
lain to H. M. forces during the war, and
is at present Secretary of the Church of
England. In his locality he is inspector of
schools.
EDITH QUIER IS ELECTED
FRESHMAN PRESIDENT
The Freshmen elected Edith Quicr.
president at their class elections held
last Wednesday in the gymnasium.
Caroline Swift is vice-president and
Minna Lee Jones secretary.
. Miss Quicr was the first chairman
elected by 1927, for the third week of
college. She comes from Rosemary,
where she was Head of the Self-Gov-
ernment Committee, and President of
the Sixth Form. Miss Swift is also
from Rosemary, where she was Chair-
man of School Meetings and Head
Marshal. She was the fifth Freshman
Chairman. The secretary, Miss Jones,
has been temporary secretary during the
past five weeks. She was President of
Student Government at Miss Madeira's
School.
BISHOP RHINELANDER
SPEAKES ON RELIGIOUS AIMS
Says to Approach Redemptive Side
of Christianity
Packages for parcel post will be received
at the Business Office in the basement of
Rockefeller, daily between 1.30 P. M. and
3.30 P. M.
Religion, and its definition, was explained
by Bishop .Rhinclander, speaking in Taylor
Hall last Saturday evening.
The world needs genuine religion, said
Bishop Rhinclander, not a philosophy or a
code of ethics. "The aim and ideal of re-
ligion is to establish and maintain a help-
ful relation with God or whatever power
or powers arc in control, Religion means,
relief from disability, projection from dan-
ger, satisfaction of desire, and these arc
the three things toward which, roughly
speaking, religion will look. All these three
arc practical.
Doctrine, went on Bishop Rhinclander,
js the formulated statement of -what other
men have found true. Religious doctrine
acts as a sign post showing the way to go.
If it points the wrong direction, pull, it
down, but you must have some individual
sure knowledge to go on. The reason why
bad doctrine is badr is that good doctrine
is so necessary. One can never get at re-
ligion from outside, and .-^o for knowledge
of religion one should go to the religious.
Bishop Rhinclander maintained that all
religious teachers have realized the restless
desire to get in contact with a God and
they all have tried to give an explanation.
To answer the question of "what must I
do to be saved" is the business of all these
leaders; and this spiritual quest has got
all kinds of answers from all .great and
little teachers alike. Christianity must
have answered the question and have an
absolute definition, for there is no doctrine
in the world so identical. � There must be
something wrong when learned men say
that it cannot be defined. The answer to
this question should be the same, whether
one believes in it or not. One must real-
ize that it#is impossible to decide whether
Christianity is true or false until one really
(CHOWS what it is. In early days men hated
anil loved Christianity for the same rea-
son, they knew exactly what it was�that
religion is not a respectable dress, but that
it is a great creative force or an all de-
stroying lie. The new note in Christianity
and what created the church was, that
Christ has always been understood and
taught as saying "come to me." Other
teachers, inclined to sink themselves and
emphasize the truth of their ideas. Christ
did not bring many new ideas of God or
of men and there is no uniqueness in Chris-
tianity if you look for it en the moral and
philosophical side. The new thing was his
solution as to how religious desires should
be fulfilled.
Bishop Rhinelandcr felt ihat Christianity
CONTINUED ON PACE 5
VARSITY WINS VICTORY
AGAINSTJERMANTOWN
Germantown Totally Unable to Stop
Strongp^ttaclc of Varsity
Forwards
MIRIAM FARIES, 24, STARS
An easy victory, 20-0, was won by Var-
sity, outplaying its opponents in both indi-
vidual and team work, last Saturday
against Germantown.
The game started out with a rush by
M. Faries, '24, carrying down the ball from
the bully and scoring Varsity's first goal.
After a similar attack by Germantown had
been saved by Varsity, the game settled
down to a slower level. Pewei spectacular
runs and more short intcrpassing, cspc-"
cially between B, Tuttle, '24, and M. Faries,
'24, as center and left inside, successfully
succeeded in outwitting the opposing backs
and piling up the Varsity score. German-
town defense were easily drawn to the side
of the field tinder attack and Varsity
missed several chances for goals by failing
to send the ball to their unmarked for-
wards. Having shot the ninth goal, Br\n
Mawr was temporarily held at a stands ill.
The balls cleared out to the wings and car-
ried down the field were intercepted by the
Germantown defense or saved by the goal
keeper. Within the last two minutes of the
first half Varsity once more succeeded in
speeding up its attack and netting twq
clean goals.
The second half was a more even fight
between the two teams. Although Ger-
mantown failed to score and.Bryn Mawr
raised its number of goals to twenty, the
ball was more often in Bryn Mawr terri-
tory, the defense had harder work, while
several well-placed shots were saved by E,
Pearson, '24, at goal. Bryn Mawr's defense
cleared the ball, effectively using spaces,
and enabling their forwards to keep up the
field, playing almost entirely an offensive
game. A goal from a corner shot by B.
Tuttle, '24, and a goal rushed by M. Faries,
'24, were .the pretties^ lftvs <lur'nf? this
half.
I rusiied
Line-up:
Germantown
Miss Evans
Miss Perkins
Miss Smaltz .
Miss Brinton
Mrs. Whitney
Miss Newcombe
Miss Styer
MissTater
Miss Nichols
Miss Thomas
Miss Borden
Substitutes:
Walker, '26.
Varsity
F. Jay, '26�**
D. Lee, '25**
M. Faries, '24******
B. Tuttle, �24***��*��*
W. Dodd, '26
Sue Walker, '26
E. Howe, '24-
Silvia Walker, '27
M. Harris, '26
M. Buchanan, '24
E. Pearson, '24
K. Gallwey, '24, for S.
INDIVIDUAL SINGING ADDED
TO INFORMAL MUSICALE
The informal musicalc held Monday
evening in Wyndham included individual
singing, a piano solo, chorale singing, and
a string orchestra.
Beginning and ending with songs, Mr.
Surette played, the piano accompaniment,
and E. Sullivan, *24, E. Howe, '24, C.
Gumming*, '25, E. Eberbach, '25, and E
Brodie, '27, played \iolins; D. Kellogg, '27,
the cello, and Dr. Owens the brass viol.
Anne Bryan, '26, played Schumann's
N'achtsttickc, and an Intermezzo by Rich-
ard Strauss. F. Thayer, '27, accompanied
by C. Gehring, '25, sang two songs, and
E. Aldcroft, '27, accompanied by J. Sulli-
van, '27, also sang. A Suite by Corclli was
played by a quartet, J. Sullivan, '27, at the
piano, and E. Sullivan, '24, ancKE. Howe,
'24, violins, and D. Kellogg, '27, cello.